Kerala filmmaker Dr Biju’s Papa Buka, backed by Pa Ranjith, becomes Papua New Guinea’s first-ever Oscar entry
The film’s technical crew includes three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej as music composer, cinematographer Yedhu Radhakrishnan, and co-writer Daniel Jonerdhagtt.
Kerala filmmaker Dr Biju; Papa Buka movie poster
CHENNAI: Acclaimed Kerala filmmaker Dr Biju, a three-time National Film Award winner, has created history with his latest feature Papa Buka. The film has been chosen as Papua New Guinea’s first official submission to the Oscars, set to compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Co-produced by Tamil director Pa Ranjith, the film was shot entirely in Papua New Guinea. Papa Buka follows the journey of an aging war veteran who assists two Indian historians in uncovering untold World War II stories that connect India and PNG through shared sacrifice and humanity. The multilingual drama features dialogue in Tok Pisin, Hindi, Bengali, and English.
The cast is led by 85-year-old tribal leader Sine Boboro from Papua New Guinea, alongside Indian actors Ritabhari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare. The film’s technical crew includes three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej as music composer, cinematographer Yedhu Radhakrishnan, and co-writer Daniel Jonerdhagtt.
Papa Buka is a Papua New Guinea–India co-production, brought together by Noelene Taula Wunum (NAFA Productions), Akshaykumar Parija (Akshay Parija Productions), Pa Ranjith (Neelam Productions), and Prakash Bare (Silicon Media).
The film is set to release theatrically in Papua New Guinea on September 19, 2025, before heading to international festivals and launching its Oscar campaign in Los Angeles.
Producer Pa Ranjith told Variety that he felt “privileged to have supported this journey” and to help take the story to a global stage. Dr Biju called the film a “tribute to the shared histories” of India and Papua New Guinea, noting that to be the “first Oscar submission from PNG,” coinciding with its 50th year of independence, was a “humbling honour.
Dr Biju Damodaran, known as Dr Biju, is a former homoeopathy doctor turned three-time National Film Award winning filmmaker whose works have travelled to major film festivals across the globe. Known for his socially conscious cinema, Dr Biju's debut Saira (2005) was screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival under “Cinema of the World,” while Veyilmarangal (2019) became the first Indian film to win a main competition award at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Over the years, he has made acclaimed films not only in Malayalam, but also in Telugu, and even in Pahari.